Steam iron



Oct. 29, 1968 w. A. ENGLISH 3, 07,521

STEAM IRON Filed June 9, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.I.

f Y 1' S 24/ 25 I6 I: 23 1 WITNESSES v INVENTOR W William A. English AGENT 0a. 29, 1968 w. A. ENGLISH 3,407,521

SSSSSSS ON Filed June 9, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,407,521 STEAM IRON William A. English, Export, Pa., assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed June 9, 1966, Ser. No. 556,383 Claims. (Cl. 38--77) This invention relates, in general, to domestic appliances, and, more particularly to steam irons.

It is common knowledge that some wrinkles, particularly those which are inadvertently pressed into a garment with an iron, are difficult, if not impossible, to remove from the garment. This occurs, for example, in the process of pressing a pair of trousers, wherethe user oftentimes ends up with a double crease either at the front or the rear of the trouser leg.

Many users by physically exerting pressure on the iron, are able, to a limited degree, to remove such a crease or in other words end up with a single crease. The same result can be obtained by increasing the weight of the iron, however, this is obviously an unsatisfactory solution as is the exertion of physical force or pressure by the user.

Steam irons of the prior art work fairly well to remove such wrinkles, but it has been found that steam alone is not totally satisfactory.

Accordingly, it is the general object of this invention to provide a new and improved steam iron.

It is a more particular object of this invention to provide a steam iron so constructed that both pressure and steam are simultaneously utilized in a new and improved manner.

Another object of this invention is to provide a steam iron structure adapted to concentrate steam forward of the path of travel of the pressing surface of the iron.

Briefly, the present invention accomplishes the abovecited objects by providing a steam iron having a soleplate with a conventionally fiat pressing surface and an upwardly inclined surface at the toe or front end thereof. The iron may be readily titled or tipped forward such that the inclined surface contacts a workpiece or garment. This inclined surface constitutes a relatively smaller surface area compared to the flat pressing surface, consequently, the total weight of the iron is transmitted to the workpiece through a relatively smaller surface area thereby developing a greater pressure or force per unit area of pressing surface. The inclined surface is provided with a plurality of steam emitting apertures permitting the simultaneous utilization of the increased pressure or force per unit area along with the steam. Furthermore, when the flat pressing surface is utilized the inclined surface permits a greater quantity of steam to flow, ahead of the flat pressing surface to thereby saturate the portion of the workpiece, immediately in front of the pressing surface.

Further advantages of the present invention will become more apparent when considered in view of the detailed description and drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of a steam iron incorporating the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but in the tipped forward position;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a steam iron incorporating the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line IV IV of FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawings especially FIGURE 1, reference character designates generally a steam iron comprising a soleplate 11 having a conventional heater 12 imbedded therein. A water reservoir 13- is supported above the soleplate by a bracket 14 secured to the soleplate in a suitable manner.

3,407,521 Patented Oct. 29, 1968 A steam generating or vaporization chamber 16 is provided in the soleplate 11 subadjacent a valve seat 17 in the underside of the reservoir 13. A plurality of channels 18, only one being shown, form a labyrinth in the top of the soleplate 11 and serve to interconnect the vaporization chamber 16 with a plurality of steam discharge ports 19 for conveying steam from the former to the latter. A valve stem 21 provided for regulating the flow of water from the reservoir into the chamber 16 is actuated in a well known manner along a vertical axis, as viewed in FIG. 1, by means of a combination heat and steam control knob 22.

In accordance with the present invention the soleplate 11, made from any suitable material, for example, aluminum, is provided with a flat primary pressing surface 23 and a smaller auxiliary pressing surface 24 integral therewith and upwardly inclined relative thereto, thereby providing an obtuse angle therebetween. While the preferred angle of inclination is approximately 2 /2" it has been found that satisfactory results can be obtained with an angle of from 2 to 15. The surface 24 measured from the line of intersection with the surface 23 as indicated at 25 is approximately 2.75 inches to the toe of the soleplate. While the preferred distance is 2.75 inches it has been found that this measurement may satisfactorily be between 15 to of the total soleplate length.

The surfaces 23 and 24 are provided with anti-stick layers of material 27. The antistick material may conveniently be provided by applying a .002 inch layer of fluorocarbon resin e.g., polytetrafluoroethylene. Such material being commercially available under the trade name Teflon. These layers of antistick material provide an additional advantage of minimizing drag on the iron as it is moved across a material being pressed. Furthermore, it has been found that material such as spray on starch does not adhere to such a surface.

The inclined surface 24 is informed in a conventional steam iron soleplate by removing a predetermined quantity of material by well known milling techniques. When the soleplate 11 is fabricated in this manner button slots 28 (see particularly FIG. 3) are disposed in a vertical edge 29 of the soleplate as shown. The inclined surface 24 may alternately be produced by casting the soleplate in full section and providing for the inclined surface in the casting mold. In this instance the button slots 28 may be provided in the vertical edge 29 overlying the inclined surface 24 or alternately overlying the surface 23.

In operation, the iron 10 is grasped by a handle 31 connected to the soleplate 11 through the bracket 14 and placed on the material to be ironed such that the flat surface 23 is parallel to and in contact with the material. For the larger and lesser wrinkled areas a back and forth motion with the iron so positioned is imparted thereto. When smaller or more wrinkled areas are encountered the iron is tilted or tipped forwardly so that the smaller inclined surface 24 contacts the material thereby transmitting a greater force per unit area to the material and simultaneously providing a concentration of steam.

As is well known in the art, the steam ports of a conventional steam iron emit substantially equal quantities of steam and the flow or emission of steam is restricted by the configuration of the channels 18 and the surface on which the iron is used. Consequently, when the soleplate is provided with, as in this instance, the inclined surface 24 some of the restriction to flow (i.e., the surface on which the iron is used) is eleminated. It will be apparent, therefore, that the steam ports 19 in the inclined surface 24 emits more steam than a conventional soleplate (i.e., single surface) thereby tending to saturate the material immediately ahead of the flat surface 23 during a normal ironing operation.

Since numerous changes may be made in the above described apparatus and different embodiments, for example, an iron having'a'soleplate in which exhaust ports 19 are provided only in the inclined surface 24, of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in'the foregoing description or shown in the'accompanying drawings, shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A- steam iron comprising: a soleplate having'a vaporization chamber and a heating element therein, a liquid reservoir, valve means for controlling emission of liquid from said reservoir into said chamber, means includirig a handle connected to said soleplate for manipulation thereof over a material to be pressed, said soleplate comprising at least a primary pressing-surface and an auxiliary pressing surface, a plurality of steam emitting aperturesprovided in said surfaces and communicating with said chamber through a plurality of channels provided in said soleplate, some of the apertures in said primary pressing surface being located adjacent said auxiliary surface. 7 a

- 2. Structure as specified in claim 1, wherein said primary surface lies in substantially a single plane and said auxiliary surface is disposed in a plane forming an obtuse angle with the plane containing said primary surface, said auxiliary surface further having a relatively smaller area than said primary surface and said auxiliary surface is inclined upwardly when said primary surface is being utilized.

3 Structure as specified in'"claim 2 including antistick layers secured to said pressing surfaces.

4, Structure as specified in claim 2,,wherein the upward inclination of said auxiliary surface when said primary surface isbeing utilized is not less than 2'.

5. Structure as specified in claim 4-, wherein the distance between the toe of said soleplate and the line of intersection between saidsurfaces is between 15 and 40% of the total length of said soleplate.

References Cited PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner. 

1. A STEAM IRON COMPRISING: A SOLEPLATE HAVING A VAPORIZATION CHAMBER AND A HEATING ELEMENT THEREIN, A LIQUID RESERVOIR, VALVE MEANS FOR CONTROLLINGG EMISSION OF LIQUID FROM SAID RESERVOIR INTO SAID CHAMBER, MEANS INCLUDING A HANDLE CONNECTED TO SAID SOLEPLATE FOR MANIPULATION THEREOF OVER A MATERIAL TO BE PRESSED, SAID SOLEPLATE COMPRISING AT LEAST A PRIMARY PRESSING SURFACE AND AN AUXILIARY PRESSING SURFACE, A PLURALITY OF STEAM EMITTING APERTURES PROVIDED IN SAID SURFACES AND COMMUNICATING WITH SAID CHAMBER THROUGH A PLURALITY OF CHANNELS PROVIDED IN SAID SOLEPLATE, SOME OF THE APERTURES IN SAID 